Updated: October 5, 2015 As more homeowners take on do it yourself projects, they find that certain upgrades are easier than others. Installing laminate floors is something that many DIY's can do by themselves or with the help of a few friends. Laminate floors have become a popular home upgrade since they are easy to put in and don't take nearly as long as when installing hardwood floors or real tile or stone. You get all the same characterstics of real wood and stones for much cheaper. Laminate floors are easy to care for since they are moisture and scratch resistant. Homeowners can choose from dozens of colors, textures, and wood and natural stone looks. Laminate flooring originated in Europe but consumers in North America have really taken to these great looking floors in recent years. The square tiles come in different sizes and the plank widths on the laminate wood floors vary to give you a unique design. Manufacturers of laminate flooring have made it so the top layer is very durable and almost completely resistant to spills, burns, and stains.

The resins put in the "wear layer" of laminate floors can be "as hard as diamonds" says one flooring site. Buying Guide - The main reason people put laminate floors into their homes is because installation is fairly easy and minimal setup work is required. Laminate floors get installed by "floating" the planks over the majority of substrates like concrete slabs, OSB, plywood, and certain types of floor coverings that already exist. Airbrush T Shirts Buffalo NyThe tongue and groove design lets you lock the tiles or planks together making for a solid floor surface. Puppies For Sale Clare MiKeep in mind that the laminate floors are not attached to the sub floor directly. Dulux T ShirtsLaminate floors, for the most part, are glueless and just snap securely together for a tight fit.

Do-it-yourselfers appreciate the glueless installation technique of laminate flooring making it quick and easy to accomplish. There are certain types of laminate flooring that come from the factory already pre-glued. Just put a slightly wet sponge on them to get the adhesive surface sticky again. Since laminate floors are susceptible to water damage, many experts recommend not installing them in bathrooms or kitchen areas unless you fill the grooves in the floors with a special waterproof glue. Laminate floors have padding underneath to help keep them quiet and comfortable to walk on. The spacers that come in the laminate flooring kit will help guide you through the process of how to fit the pieces together in a professional style. The most popular laminate flooring brands are from Pergo, Wilsonart, Dupont, Mohawk, Shaw, Armstrong, Witex, Alloc, Mannington, and Quick-Step. Once your laminate floors have been installed, they should last for years with minimal care. Make sure you NEVER polish or wax these floors, just vacuum often with a brushless vacuum.

The one big advantage for laminate floors over hardwood flooring is that laminates are fairly dent resistant compared to hardwoods. I have hardwood floors in most of my house and have found that certain types of woods are more suspectible to denting, please check with your local store or contractor on the best dent resistant hardwoods or laminates. Some laminate flooring is as cheap as $.59 square foot but many of the varieties we found are closer to $1.20-$1.75 (like the Pergo Red Oak Laminate Flooring). Pergo laminate flooring is probably the most popular brand available and we found several homeowners that bought them at Ikea stores. from $1.29 SQ FT to $3.20 SQ foot. You may not know it, but Amazon carries a bunch of laminate flooring products in their home improvement department - Armstrong, Pergo, Wilsonart, Vintage Home. You can browse their best-selling laminate flooring section here. Dupont vs Shaw vs Mohawk: When it comes to laminate flooring, the competition has increased dramatically over the last few years as the popularity of the product has risen ten fold.

Mohawk is a reputable name in the carpet industry and they have solidfied their place in flooring by offering a quality laminate floor product. Many of their styles range from $1.75/sq ft to $3.75 per square foot. Shaw laminate flooring is what my brother went with in his house as they offered a nice variety of finishes like cherry, maple, oak, pine, and stone. They are a touch more expensive than Mohawk with many Shaw laminates going for well above $4/square foot. which say that Pergo has the best name (as it's synonymous with laminate floors), but Dupont, Shaw and Mohawk provide better quality flooring. Laminate Floor Installation Tips: If you are going to take on the task of installing laminate floors in your house, make sure you are prepared so the job gets done in a timely manner. The first part of measuring and determining just how much flooring you will actually need. Many contractors warn do it yourselfers to order 10% more as a safe buffer. Also, buy the right type of padding that will go underneath the flooring to keep sound to a minimum.

In terms of tools, keep your handy tape measure on hand at all times, a pencil, a level, a miter saw, skilsaw, and hand saw. An exacto knife works well on cutting the padding and a crowbar works well on removing old trim. Do some test cuts on your laminated boards to make sure they don't get chipped and if they do try cutting them upside down to eliminate obvious flaws in your work. Try to imagine the overall layout of the flooring before you start so you can make the most of the pieces before you lock them into place. Spacing near walls and doors can become a hassle if you don't plan for it. Lots of reviews we read online of people who had tackled the installation of a laminate floor said that the classes offered at Lowes and Home Depot will save you lots of time and anguish.Where We Stand on Flooring Your home is your castle. But this isn’t the Middle Ages, so your palace is going to need flooring. Hardwood, laminate, vinyl or tile: With so many choices, where do you start? Installing a new floor is a big-ticket home improvement, so budget is certain to factor into your decision.

But you should also consider how much foot traffic, sunlight, and wear and tear your flooring will endure. For example, some engineered woods, along with a few solid-wood types of flooring, aren’t as resistant to moisture as vinyl or laminate flooring—a serious drawback in a bathroom or busy kitchen. Ceramic tile would be a better choice for durability, but it can be expensive and requires labor-intensive installation. Most flooring falls into one of the following six types. The type of flooring you choose will depend on your needs, budget—not to mention your personal style and aesthetic. Pros: Wood has a natural warmth, impressive wear resistance, and can be sanded and refinished several times. Pre-finished floors can hold up better than those finished on site, and their warranty comes from the factory, not the installer. Cons: Solid wood may expand and contract with varying humidity levels and can dent easily. Some can show wear quickly and become discolored from sunlight.

Note: Unfinished flooring costs less than pre-finished, but higher installation costs can offset savings. Wood flooring is not a good choice for basements and other damp spaces. Installed cost: $5 to $10 per square foot. See Our Flooring Ratings for More on Solid Wood Pros: This flooring uses a thin veneer of real wood or bamboo over structural plywood, making it a cost-effective choice. Cons: Most engineered wood doesn't wear as well as solid wood or laminate. It also dents easily. Most can be carefully refinished once, but the veneer on some may be too thin for even one refinish. Installed cost: $4 to $9 per square foot. For More on Engineered Wood Check Our Flooring Ratings Pros: Constructed of dense fiberboard with a photo beneath a clear-plastic protective layer, laminate can mimic nearly anything. Some brands use real cork beneath the clear layer. The best laminates resist scratching and discoloration from sunlight better than most wood products.

Cons: The repetitive pattern can compromise realism. In terms of durability, you might be able to touch up minor flaws, but you'll have to replace the flooring once its outer layer has worn through. Installed cost: $3 to $7 per square foot. Read Our Flooring Ratings to Find the Best Laminate Pros: Especially good at fending off wear, dents, scratches, discoloration from sunlight, and stains. Easy installation, particularly for tiles or planks, and more color and design choices are available these days. Cons: While the premium brands can mimic the look of stone, tile, and even oak, even the best products still look like vinyl up close. Top-of-the-line vinyl can cost as much or more than the best solid-wood and laminate floors. Installed cost: $2 to $6 per square foot. See Our Flooring Ratings for More on Vinyl Pros: Made of linseed oil and wood products, linoleum is a natural, resilient material. Today's products offer far more styles and colors. Linoleum tends to fend off discoloration from sunlight.

Cons: Resistance to wear, scratches, and dents varies widely from product to product. Linoleum can also be relatively expensive. Installed cost: $4 to $8 per square foot. For the Top Linoleum Options Check Our Flooring Ratings Pros: This classic material tends to resist wear, moisture, scratches, dents, and stains. Cons: Tiles can crack and some grout can stain. Dropped cups and dishes break more easily. Tile is also relatively expensive and hard to install. While some can now be floated without the usual cement and grout, that makes replacing cracked tiles more of a challenge. Installed cost: $8 to $15 per square foot; $5 to $8 for products that can float. Visit Our Flooring Ratings for More Details on Ceramic Tile FlooringBefore you buy, bring home samples of your top flooring choices. Compare them side-by-side where they're going to be installed.Manufacturers try to match solid- and engineered-wood flooring for color and grain. But variations can occur from one batch to the next, so buy all the flooring you'll need at one time.

On the flip side, laminate floorboards within a given package often have a similar pattern. To reduce repetition, pull boards from multiple packages when installing.To determine how much flooring you'll need, measure the room's square footage by multiplying its length times its width. (Divide an irregularly shaped room into smaller rectangles, calculate the square footage of each rectangle, and then add them together.) Then buy 7 to 10 percent extra to allow for mistakes, bad samples, and waste. Consider buying an extra box of flooring for future repairs or additions. Know Your Traffic Patterns. Common high-traffic areas are entryways to rooms and to the house itself. If you have pets or kids, the family room can also be a busy place. Our top products performed best in simulated foot-traffic tests. For less-busy areas, consider one of the top-engineered wood or bamboo floors, for their natural veneer and easy installation. Preparing to Install Flooring. Before installing wood or laminate flooring, unpack it and let it sit for one to three days in the space where it will be installed so that its temperature and moisture become acclimated to the levels in the room.